Bulgaria passes law to protect journalists from SLAPP lawsuits

The Bulgarian Parliament has passed legislation to protect journalists, activists, and other public participants from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP). These abusive legal actions are typically used by wealthy or influential entities to intimidate, silence, or financially exhaust critics through lengthy and costly defamation or reputational damage claims.

While the reform implements a 2024 European Union directive regarding cross-border disputes, Bulgaria has extended these protections to include purely domestic cases. The new law allows courts to dismiss clearly unfounded claims at an early stage, introduces shorter deadlines for judicial decisions, and imposes stricter conditions on interim measures such as asset seizures.

The provisions will also apply to ongoing legal proceedings that have not yet reached their first hearing. Legal experts and human rights organizations have welcomed the move, noting that dozens of such cases currently in the Bulgarian court system have had a “paralysing effect on freedom of expression.”